The Improvised Doctor Who Parody: We all used to perform together at the University of York comedy society

The Improvised Doctor Who Parody is back at this years Edinburgh Fringe! Travel anywhere in time and space with a live radiophonic workshop, on-stage TARDIS and a collection of hilarious improv comedy performers! Travel on an adventure made entirely from your suggestions and be home in time for tea. Any Suggestions, Doctor? is at the Pleasance Dome for the month of August. and, therefore, the Parody spoke with The Fountain about the influences and driving factors behind the show.

TF: You are performing at the Edinburgh Fringe this year, how exciting?

It is rather isn’t it? It’s especially exciting for us this year as we’re moving into Pleasance who are helping us make the show bigger and better than ever. We’ve got access to more tech and props, plus we get to use all sorts of special effects.

TF: Any Suggestions, Doctor? certainly sounds intriguing, what is the premise?

We take your suggestions and improvise a brand new episode of Doctor Who right there on the spot! We’ve got a live radiophonic workshop that plays along, as well as props, a TARDIS set and even a bit of smoke. It’s a ridiculously fun show to watch and perform, with lots of silly aliens and manic characters. Plus it’s based entirely on audience suggestions, so it’s never the same show twice.

TF: And what drove the project, where did your influences lie?

We all used to perform together at the University of York comedy society with The Shambles, the local improv troupe. After university we realised we’d spent years honing this great comedy skill, but we wanted to do something with it we hadn’t seen other groups do. When some members of the troupe were caught wishing they could write Doctor Who episodes the idea came to mind and, with a bit of research into how to do long form, the show was born. We’re a parody show at our core, but ultimately we love Doctor Who, and we really love the fact that, every so often, we get to have a go at making up our magical sci-fi adventures.

TF: What are your plans for the Fringe, having been before are there any tips or musts you would offer to first-time performers?

My first tip is simple – yes, flyering does matter and no, going to Cafe Nero does not count as flyering. Get a good couple of hours in at the very least and try to see it as part of the job. This will be my 13th year at the Fringe and I suppose the best piece of advice I could give about the city itself is that Piemaker is cheap and filling. Grab yourself a pie before flyering and you won’t have any need to eat for a long time.

TF: And what are your future plans beyond the Fringe?

Well it rather depends on the festival itself! We’d love to tour, and we’ve done shows in London, York and Brighton before, so we’re no stranger to moving the show. We’d also love to find a way to perform the show in a way that isn’t necessarily live, but we’ll say no more than that. Like I say, it all depends how the festival goes, and we’re hoping to end on a Big Finish.

Any Suggestions, Doctor? The Improvised Doctor Who Parody will be at the Pleasance Dome King Dome at 19:00 for the month of August. For tickets, go to www.edfringe.com